Here is a link to the survey Jan and I made for 3-5 students. We have enough responses to share some data Monday. We will continue to collect data and hope to do so across all 5 schools. http://esurvey.inspiredata.com/ the code is The code is: 185225, but please do not fill anything in. Peter and Jan FM
Sarah B. – FM
I thought my kids, as fifth graders, had had so much experience searching the Internet that my action research would focus on exploring websites to determine reliability, bias, and critically evaluating data. They research almost daily for Calendar Squares (a daily presentation of historical facts, current events, and personal data) and science and social studies projects, among other things. It stood to reason that since children were producing fine work, their skills were adequate and ready to expand and grow.
Well, I was certainly surprised during class, by the lack of expertise in locating sites that might answer students’ questions. When left to their own devices, an overwhelming number of my kids typed their entire question as their search. There was little thought about keywords or how to narrow down a search. Needless to say, this became our focus.
Julie’s lesson with my class was another eye-opener; we benefited greatly from her work. Students offered sensible strategies for locating websites: use keywords only, use the Internet search to help find good keywords, search for parts of your question and compare.
As we continue to research in class and move forward with our Capstone projects, students are more adept at searching on the Internet. As we progress through this endeavor, students will focus on evaluating the information they accrue (whether on-line or hard copy).
Throughout this process, I have come to understand that it is imperative to be consistent; leaving too much time between lessons leaves too many holes. Kids need to become invested in the strategies they generate. By presenting lessons utilizing skills for the 21st century on a more regular basis, I think my students would have made significant progress rather than the interrupted, choppy development we actually made.
While researching on-line, I found many sources that were helpful to me in terms of expanding my own understanding of New Literacies. This, in turn, allowed me to introduce other adults to the idea and perhaps bring some people into the fold. It’s time for us to move forward. I’m excited to continue learning and implementing lessons to help my students become more skilled when searching for information. Feel free to check out these links:
http://www.newliteracies.gseis.ucla.edu/video/
E-Literate video - What is a little disturbing about the video on this website is that it was first presented in 2000...about New Literacies! We're a little late.
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/searching/fournets.htm
"Four Nets for Better Searching" This website leads you through searching for a specific topic in four different ways. It takes you away from the "bad" searches like using one word and expecting to find all of your information and when using an entire phrase can be helpful. Again, this one is from 2004.
Crystal Carr - Fox Meadow
Background:
As an educator, I believe it’s important to prepare students for life outside of school. At the end of the day, students google questions on their computer, surf the web, socialize with friends on iChat and listen to their iPods rather than engage in dinner conversation. They are more familiar with these aspects of technology than many of their teachers. While that realization can be scary, it is also exciting. For two years, I toyed with the idea of podcasting. However, fear of the unknown prevented me from introducing this new genre of writing to my class. Our STI course on new literacies provided me with the perfect opportunity to move beyond my comfort zone. This brings me to my main research question.
QUESTION:
What happens when students write for an online community?
Sub-Questions:
• Will the quality of their writing improve? If so, how?
• What happens when writer’s workshop becomes collaborative and social?
• How will their ideas of writing and communication change?
FORMAT & OBSERVATIONS
1. Peter McKenna and I introduced podcasting to my students through a keynote presentation I designed called, “What is Communication?” It featured a montage of pictures that captured different forms of technology over time beginning with a caveman pounding on a stone tablet to letters to typewriters to computers to text messaging and so on. While the images moved across the screen, the song, “Changes” by David Bowie played in the background. I hoped that students would understand my message, but wasn’t sure if they would get the concept of communication changing over time. To my relief, students were mesmerized by the images and explained that communication is how people share ideas. When they learned that we were about to write and produce podcasts, they cheered.
2. Next, we listened to many examples of podcasts both in school and at home. The two sites we began with are listed below.
New York Public Radio
This features podcasts that are about interesting topics such as why people laugh and why stress is good for you. http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/
We transitioned from the computer lab back into our classroom for writer’s workshop. We spent much time brainstorming ideas for podcast segments and writing. Initial ideas included:
• MOMA and other museum visits
• Wii
• Music at Fox Meadow featuring Mrs. Laman
• American Idol
• What is communication?
• Sports Talk
• Book Reviews
• Rubik’s Cube
• Cabaret
3. Students worked in their writer’s notebooks daily, both in school and at home. Mini-lessons were presented and individual writing conferences occurred frequently. Planning was in response to what students needed. The workshop transitioned from students working independently to a social environment of collaboration. Partnerships and groups formed naturally based on common interests. An authentic workshop environment emerged with students engaged in a variety of activities such as researching online, writing in notebooks, conducting interviews, pitching segment ideas, etcetera.
4. Finally, we were ready to record segments and produce them. Our writer’s workshop moved from the classroom to the computer lab and Peter taught lessons on everything from Garageband to digital voice recorders to adding images and music and so on. We learned from our mistakes and successes. Podcasts were recorded, produced and posted on my eBoard.
5. This process continues to evolve as students become more knowledgeable writers and podcasters. Parents, students and teachers at Fox Meadow have learned of our work and are listening to our podcasts. Carr’s Corner will continue through this year and into future ones as well.
6. Currently, I’m designing a website which will contain an archive of podcasts. I will post the website soon and hope our audience grows.
FINDINGS & INTERPRETATIONS
Podcasts:
Click on the Podcast tab and then on Carr’s Corner to listen to our podcasts.
The following quotations are gathered from students’ reflections on podcasts.
“Writing a podcast is different because you know you are going to record it so it has to be interesting. You will have to read it with expression and you have to have a good intro and closing”.
“Podcasting made me realize I like to write and communicate in some ways, but not in other ways. Till now, I never liked to write”.
“My favorite parts are interviewing people about their opinion on something. I also enjoy working in partnerships”.
“Writing a podcast is different from other forms of writing because podcasts are published and put on the internet. The audience is much wider than regular writing”.
“I think that recording was sort of frustrating because whenever you made a mistake you had to start over. It was challenging”.
“I listened to almost all of the podcasts. I told my family, my uncles, my aunts, my cousins, my grandparents, and friends. When my mom heard it, she was really proud. I felt really happy. I put almost everyone’s on my iPod because I think they are all amazing”.
“My ideas have changed a lot since we started podcasting because at first, I didn’t know podcasting was a form of communication. My opinion about podcasting is that I think it’s a great way to get the news out. ‘Writing has nothing to do with podcasting’, I used to think. Now I know they are connected most of all”.
Observations of Students:
• Students are more motivated writers. They are willing to revise and edit until the script sounds professional.
• Students work collaboratively in partnerships and groups. These form based on interests, not necessarily friendship.
• Students liked the freedom of choosing their own topics and expressing their opinions.
• Some students experienced difficulty following through on the production of their podcasts due to technical difficulties.
• Experts in different areas of production are noticeable. Students seek out help from each other based on their strengths.
• Quality of writing has improved, especially with lower skilled writers.
• Increased awareness of audience. Students want people to listen to their podcasts and genuinely be interested in what they have to say.
• Using technology engages students in the process of learning.
• Students enjoy the social interaction of interviewing people in our school community.
REFLECTIONS & INTERPRETATIONS:
During the past three months, my students have grown in ways that are impressive to me. They are curious, motivated and excited about working on their podcasts. We are learning together and that seems to empower them. I am comfortable letting students know when I can’t help them and asking others for assistance. They have learned a tremendous amount in a short period of time. Out of everything we have studied together this year, I believe they will remember our work on Carr’s Corner. There is something to be said for being the first to try something and the excitement that surrounds that, both for students and teachers. I’m not sure exactly where this will lead, but I do know it has changed the way I think about writing. In the fall, I will most certainly continue podcasting with my students. Beyond that, I’m not sure what the next endeavor will be. That is the greatest lesson in my work this year.
• Learning often is socially constructed within new literacies. As technologies rapidly change, no single teacher can be expected to keep up with them all. We need to orchestrate classrooms to take advantage of the opportunities to learn from one another because different students possess different new literacies and are important sources of information. Moreover, meaning is socially constructed as students share and exchange information rapidly with others around the world.
(Cioro, Leu, et.al. 2005).
Susan Luft - Fox Meadow Problem Statement
“As technologies rapidly change, no single teacher can be expected to keep up with them all. We need to orchestrate classrooms to take advantage of the opportunities to learn from one another because different students possess different new literacies and are important sources of information. Moreover, meaning is socially constructed as students share and exchange information rapidly with others around the world.”
- New Literacies Perspective (Leu, D.J., Jr., Kinzer, C.K., Coiro, J., Cammack, D., 2004).
Social interaction early in life is critically important for language development. Therefore, it is no wonder that researchers have consistently reported high levels of spoken communication and cooperation as children interact at computers. In a busy classroom, conversations about activities lead to improvement in language skills and development of vocabulary. “Computers, like crayons or blocks, are tools for learning and problem solving and young children are able to and even prefer working with one or two partners at the computer. In fact, young children initiate interactions more frequently and in different ways at computers, and some studies show primary students collaborate more while working on the computer than they do when using pencil and paper” (Van Scoter & Boss, 2002).
This action research study is in search of obtaining the perspective of students, as well as myself, to build theories on literacy behaviors, thus allowing the opportunity to generate a hypothesis that may help to study improvement of professional practice in the area of new literacy acquisition.
Research Questions
The overarching question for this study is, what happens when students have the opportunity to peer talk while engaged in new literacy activities? The following guideline questions were derived from this overarching question:
1. What is the nature of peer talk while students are engaged in new literacy activities?
2. How can teachers best construct classroom-learning environments to include the shared thoughts, expertise, and collaborative efforts of students to build higher levels of new literacy learning?
3. What measures should be taken toward professional development to improve teachers’ knowledge and awareness of the importance new literacy and social learning to improve student learning?
Data Collection This study took place while a small group of my 22 first-grade students were engaged in classroom literacy activities. Data was collected from observing the whole group, but a smaller, diversified, sample group, which included four of the students (two female and two males) were selected as a focus group. Five different communication/technology resource tools were used that included the websites Starfall.com, PBSKids.com, and literacycenter.net, and two software programs, Kidpix and AppleWorks, were used for the study. http://www.starfall.com/n/level-b/index/load.htm?f http://pbskids.org/lions/index.html http://literacycenter.net/lessonview_en.htm Sources of Data Collection and Analysis
Research Question Data Collection Data Analysis
What happens when students have the opportunity to peer talk while engaged in tech/literacy activities?
Observations
Videotape recordings
Transcripts
Field Notes
Student Artifacts
Teacher Artifacts Memos
Categorizing
Coding
Verification
Frequency Counts
Categories for Analysis
Five different behaviors were identified and categorized finding that, while engaged in peer talk at computers, the participant’s behaviors included, 1. Spontaneous helping of one another; 2. Reciprocal critique of one another’s work; 3. Collaborating as equal status learners; 4. Request for help; and 5. Sharing (showing off) one’s work.
Through coding it was revealed that students spent a great deal of their time at computers seeking assistance and spontaneously helping one another. Essentially in average intervals of 10 minutes, the four students in the focus group requested help from one another 9 times and engaged in spontaneous support 8 times.
Upon this closer look at the data, other categories that were initially thought to have shown literacy behaviors equally, such as collaboration as equals and showing-off one’s work had been revealed to be weak upon comparison thus reducing the data and showing greater evidence leading toward those behaviors previously mentioned. Another behavior had been the spontaneous helping of one another that can often be seen when students work together at computers. These opportunities for tutorial assistance displayed by the focus group were opportunities to build strength and reinforce skills among the participants.
Interpretation of Findings
Throughout this study the beliefs suggesting social interaction play a role in the development of cognition and that these types of learning situations help students achieve a heightened level of understanding (Vygotsky), are evident. The participants were continuously engaged in problem solving, independently adjusting their own level of help necessary in response to their own development. Having spent some time observing their tech literacy behaviors, I was often surprised by the rapid growth in this area by students so young. However, this learning took place with their continuous exposure to social reciprocal interaction suggesting that real learning was taking place in a social situation that involved exchanges between learners.
It was also evident that much of this learning would not have taken place if it were not for the “public screens” that the children were using at the computer station. In another piece of evidence, three students are working side-by-side at individual computers. Their directions were to work on the It’s Fun to Read section of the website Starfall.com. Although they are allowed to choose any of the interactive books in the sections index, two students became interested in the section chosen by another in the group. Not knowing how to get to that section or how to manipulate the tools once there, they relied on the expertise of their neighbor and in turn found they could use the program independently with a little assistance. One participant even went as far as to instruct another on the how-to’s minutes after he became an “expert” himself. It is evident these collaborative efforts created opportunities for the students to reach greater understanding. Conclusion
When educators begin to look at the question: What happens when students have the opportunity to peer talk while engaged in tech literacy activities; we must take into account that children have a natural tendency to explain their world while exploring the world and challenging one another’s thinking, and that such social interaction is critically important for language development. This study gives evidence that meaning is socially constructed as students share and exchange information “at” computers.
There is much research to consider in regard to computers, social learning, and peer talk. It is a widely accepted theory that social interaction early in life is critically important for language development and early literacy development. In a busy classroom, conversations about activities lead to improvement in language skills and development of vocabulary. When classroom environments and activities are designed to encourage communication, positive effects of computers and other forms of technology on social interaction take effect. However, the teacher plays a central role in creating such an environment that encourages collaboration among students and independence in activities. Creating a socially supportive atmosphere that encourages children to share ideas and strategies, exchange writings, and challenge each other’s thinking has a direct impact on the social context of learning.
The final question, what measures should be taken toward professional development to improve teachers’ knowledge and awareness of the importance new literacies and social learning to improve student learning, is a challenging one. It involves an understanding first of what new literacies are and then a commitment to open-mindedness that allows educators to willingly admit that they cannot be gate-keepers to information in these rapidly changing exponential times. Preparing our students to be newly literate is the responsibility of all educators in the 21st Century. It has everything to do with what we are teaching, otherwise we are neglecting a great deal about the skills that will allow our students to be successful.
Here is a link to the survey Jan and I made for 3-5 students. We have enough responses to share some data Monday. We will continue to collect data and hope to do so across all 5 schools.
http://esurvey.inspiredata.com/ the code is The code is: 185225, but please do not fill anything in.
Peter and Jan FM
Sarah B. – FM
I thought my kids, as fifth graders, had had so much experience searching the Internet that my action research would focus on exploring websites to determine reliability, bias, and critically evaluating data. They research almost daily for Calendar Squares (a daily presentation of historical facts, current events, and personal data) and science and social studies projects, among other things. It stood to reason that since children were producing fine work, their skills were adequate and ready to expand and grow.
Well, I was certainly surprised during class, by the lack of expertise in locating sites that might answer students’ questions. When left to their own devices, an overwhelming number of my kids typed their entire question as their search. There was little thought about keywords or how to narrow down a search. Needless to say, this became our focus.
Julie’s lesson with my class was another eye-opener; we benefited greatly from her work. Students offered sensible strategies for locating websites: use keywords only, use the Internet search to help find good keywords, search for parts of your question and compare.
As we continue to research in class and move forward with our Capstone projects, students are more adept at searching on the Internet. As we progress through this endeavor, students will focus on evaluating the information they accrue (whether on-line or hard copy).
Throughout this process, I have come to understand that it is imperative to be consistent; leaving too much time between lessons leaves too many holes. Kids need to become invested in the strategies they generate. By presenting lessons utilizing skills for the 21st century on a more regular basis, I think my students would have made significant progress rather than the interrupted, choppy development we actually made.
While researching on-line, I found many sources that were helpful to me in terms of expanding my own understanding of New Literacies. This, in turn, allowed me to introduce other adults to the idea and perhaps bring some people into the fold. It’s time for us to move forward. I’m excited to continue learning and implementing lessons to help my students become more skilled when searching for information. Feel free to check out these links:
http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=263
This article is from 2005. It moves your thinking from the 3 Rs to the 4 Es.
http://www.newliteracies.gseis.ucla.edu/video/
E-Literate video - What is a little disturbing about the video on this website is that it was first presented in 2000...about New Literacies! We're a little late.
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/searching/fournets.htm
"Four Nets for Better Searching" This website leads you through searching for a specific topic in four different ways. It takes you away from the "bad" searches like using one word and expecting to find all of your information and when using an entire phrase can be helpful. Again, this one is from 2004.
Crystal Carr - Fox Meadow
Background:
As an educator, I believe it’s important to prepare students for life outside of school. At the end of the day, students google questions on their computer, surf the web, socialize with friends on iChat and listen to their iPods rather than engage in dinner conversation. They are more familiar with these aspects of technology than many of their teachers. While that realization can be scary, it is also exciting. For two years, I toyed with the idea of podcasting. However, fear of the unknown prevented me from introducing this new genre of writing to my class. Our STI course on new literacies provided me with the perfect opportunity to move beyond my comfort zone. This brings me to my main research question.QUESTION:
What happens when students write for an online community?Sub-Questions:
• Will the quality of their writing improve? If so, how?• What happens when writer’s workshop becomes collaborative and social?
• How will their ideas of writing and communication change?
FORMAT & OBSERVATIONS
1. Peter McKenna and I introduced podcasting to my students through a keynote presentation I designed called, “What is Communication?” It featured a montage of pictures that captured different forms of technology over time beginning with a caveman pounding on a stone tablet to letters to typewriters to computers to text messaging and so on. While the images moved across the screen, the song, “Changes” by David Bowie played in the background. I hoped that students would understand my message, but wasn’t sure if they would get the concept of communication changing over time. To my relief, students were mesmerized by the images and explained that communication is how people share ideas. When they learned that we were about to write and produce podcasts, they cheered.2. Next, we listened to many examples of podcasts both in school and at home. The two sites we began with are listed below.
National Public Radio Podcasts
This site features over 600 podcast. Start listening today!
http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.php
New York Public Radio
This features podcasts that are about interesting topics such as why people laugh and why stress is good for you.
http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/
We transitioned from the computer lab back into our classroom for writer’s workshop. We spent much time brainstorming ideas for podcast segments and writing. Initial ideas included:
• MOMA and other museum visits
• Wii
• Music at Fox Meadow featuring Mrs. Laman
• American Idol
• What is communication?
• Sports Talk
• Book Reviews
• Rubik’s Cube
• Cabaret
3. Students worked in their writer’s notebooks daily, both in school and at home. Mini-lessons were presented and individual writing conferences occurred frequently. Planning was in response to what students needed. The workshop transitioned from students working independently to a social environment of collaboration. Partnerships and groups formed naturally based on common interests. An authentic workshop environment emerged with students engaged in a variety of activities such as researching online, writing in notebooks, conducting interviews, pitching segment ideas, etcetera.
4. Finally, we were ready to record segments and produce them. Our writer’s workshop moved from the classroom to the computer lab and Peter taught lessons on everything from Garageband to digital voice recorders to adding images and music and so on. We learned from our mistakes and successes. Podcasts were recorded, produced and posted on my eBoard.
5. This process continues to evolve as students become more knowledgeable writers and podcasters. Parents, students and teachers at Fox Meadow have learned of our work and are listening to our podcasts. Carr’s Corner will continue through this year and into future ones as well.
6. Currently, I’m designing a website which will contain an archive of podcasts. I will post the website soon and hope our audience grows.
FINDINGS & INTERPRETATIONS
Podcasts:
Click on the Podcast tab and then on Carr’s Corner to listen to our podcasts.
http://www4.eboard.com/eboard/servlet/BoardServlet?ACTION=BOARD_SHOW&SITE_NAME=scarsdale&BOARD_NAME=ccarr&SESSION_ID=oiwuy2xmyjyy3833
Quotes:
The following quotations are gathered from students’ reflections on podcasts.“Writing a podcast is different because you know you are going to record it so it has to be interesting. You will have to read it with expression and you have to have a good intro and closing”.
“Podcasting made me realize I like to write and communicate in some ways, but not in other ways. Till now, I never liked to write”.
“My favorite parts are interviewing people about their opinion on something. I also enjoy working in partnerships”.
“Writing a podcast is different from other forms of writing because podcasts are published and put on the internet. The audience is much wider than regular writing”.
“I think that recording was sort of frustrating because whenever you made a mistake you had to start over. It was challenging”.
“I listened to almost all of the podcasts. I told my family, my uncles, my aunts, my cousins, my grandparents, and friends. When my mom heard it, she was really proud. I felt really happy. I put almost everyone’s on my iPod because I think they are all amazing”.
“My ideas have changed a lot since we started podcasting because at first, I didn’t know podcasting was a form of communication. My opinion about podcasting is that I think it’s a great way to get the news out. ‘Writing has nothing to do with podcasting’, I used to think. Now I know they are connected most of all”.
Observations of Students:
• Students are more motivated writers. They are willing to revise and edit until the script sounds professional.
• Students work collaboratively in partnerships and groups. These form based on interests, not necessarily friendship.
• Students liked the freedom of choosing their own topics and expressing their opinions.
• Some students experienced difficulty following through on the production of their podcasts due to technical difficulties.
• Experts in different areas of production are noticeable. Students seek out help from each other based on their strengths.
• Quality of writing has improved, especially with lower skilled writers.
• Increased awareness of audience. Students want people to listen to their podcasts and genuinely be interested in what they have to say.
• Using technology engages students in the process of learning.
• Students enjoy the social interaction of interviewing people in our school community.
REFLECTIONS & INTERPRETATIONS:
During the past three months, my students have grown in ways that are impressive to me. They are curious, motivated and excited about working on their podcasts. We are learning together and that seems to empower them. I am comfortable letting students know when I can’t help them and asking others for assistance. They have learned a tremendous amount in a short period of time. Out of everything we have studied together this year, I believe they will remember our work on Carr’s Corner. There is something to be said for being the first to try something and the excitement that surrounds that, both for students and teachers. I’m not sure exactly where this will lead, but I do know it has changed the way I think about writing. In the fall, I will most certainly continue podcasting with my students. Beyond that, I’m not sure what the next endeavor will be. That is the greatest lesson in my work this year.
• Learning often is socially constructed within new literacies. As technologies rapidly change, no single teacher can be expected to keep up with them all. We need to orchestrate classrooms to take advantage of the opportunities to learn from one another because different students possess different new literacies and are important sources of information. Moreover, meaning is socially constructed as students share and exchange information rapidly with others around the world.
(Cioro, Leu, et.al. 2005).
Susan Luft - Fox Meadow Problem Statement
“As technologies rapidly change, no single teacher can be expected to keep up with them all. We need to orchestrate classrooms to take advantage of the opportunities to learn from one another because different students possess different new literacies and are important sources of information. Moreover, meaning is socially constructed as students share and exchange information rapidly with others around the world.”
- New Literacies Perspective (Leu, D.J., Jr., Kinzer, C.K., Coiro, J., Cammack, D., 2004).
Social interaction early in life is critically important for language development. Therefore, it is no wonder that researchers have consistently reported high levels of spoken communication and cooperation as children interact at computers. In a busy classroom, conversations about activities lead to improvement in language skills and development of vocabulary. “Computers, like crayons or blocks, are tools for learning and problem solving and young children are able to and even prefer working with one or two partners at the computer. In fact, young children initiate interactions more frequently and in different ways at computers, and some studies show primary students collaborate more while working on the computer than they do when using pencil and paper” (Van Scoter & Boss, 2002).
This action research study is in search of obtaining the perspective of students, as well as myself, to build theories on literacy behaviors, thus allowing the opportunity to generate a hypothesis that may help to study improvement of professional practice in the area of new literacy acquisition.
Research Questions
The overarching question for this study is, what happens when students have the opportunity to peer talk while engaged in new literacy activities? The following guideline questions were derived from this overarching question:
1. What is the nature of peer talk while students are engaged in new literacy activities?
2. How can teachers best construct classroom-learning environments to include the shared thoughts, expertise, and collaborative efforts of students to build higher levels of new literacy learning?
3. What measures should be taken toward professional development to improve teachers’ knowledge and awareness of the importance new literacy and social learning to improve student learning?
Data Collection This study took place while a small group of my 22 first-grade students were engaged in classroom literacy activities. Data was collected from observing the whole group, but a smaller, diversified, sample group, which included four of the students (two female and two males) were selected as a focus group. Five different communication/technology resource tools were used that included the websites Starfall.com, PBSKids.com, and literacycenter.net, and two software programs, Kidpix and AppleWorks, were used for the study.
http://www.starfall.com/n/level-b/index/load.htm?f
http://pbskids.org/lions/index.html
http://literacycenter.net/lessonview_en.htm
Sources of Data Collection and Analysis
Research Question Data Collection Data Analysis
What happens when students have the opportunity to peer talk while engaged in tech/literacy activities?
Observations
Videotape recordings
Transcripts
Field Notes
Student Artifacts
Teacher Artifacts Memos
Categorizing
Coding
Verification
Frequency Counts
Categories for Analysis
Five different behaviors were identified and categorized finding that, while engaged in peer talk at computers, the participant’s behaviors included, 1. Spontaneous helping of one another; 2. Reciprocal critique of one another’s work; 3. Collaborating as equal status learners; 4. Request for help; and 5. Sharing (showing off) one’s work.
Through coding it was revealed that students spent a great deal of their time at computers seeking assistance and spontaneously helping one another. Essentially in average intervals of 10 minutes, the four students in the focus group requested help from one another 9 times and engaged in spontaneous support 8 times.
Upon this closer look at the data, other categories that were initially thought to have shown literacy behaviors equally, such as collaboration as equals and showing-off one’s work had been revealed to be weak upon comparison thus reducing the data and showing greater evidence leading toward those behaviors previously mentioned. Another behavior had been the spontaneous helping of one another that can often be seen when students work together at computers. These opportunities for tutorial assistance displayed by the focus group were opportunities to build strength and reinforce skills among the participants.
Interpretation of Findings
Throughout this study the beliefs suggesting social interaction play a role in the development of cognition and that these types of learning situations help students achieve a heightened level of understanding (Vygotsky), are evident. The participants were continuously engaged in problem solving, independently adjusting their own level of help necessary in response to their own development. Having spent some time observing their tech literacy behaviors, I was often surprised by the rapid growth in this area by students so young. However, this learning took place with their continuous exposure to social reciprocal interaction suggesting that real learning was taking place in a social situation that involved exchanges between learners.
It was also evident that much of this learning would not have taken place if it were not for the “public screens” that the children were using at the computer station. In another piece of evidence, three students are working side-by-side at individual computers. Their directions were to work on the It’s Fun to Read section of the website Starfall.com. Although they are allowed to choose any of the interactive books in the sections index, two students became interested in the section chosen by another in the group. Not knowing how to get to that section or how to manipulate the tools once there, they relied on the expertise of their neighbor and in turn found they could use the program independently with a little assistance. One participant even went as far as to instruct another on the how-to’s minutes after he became an “expert” himself. It is evident these collaborative efforts created opportunities for the students to reach greater understanding.
Conclusion
When educators begin to look at the question: What happens when students have the opportunity to peer talk while engaged in tech literacy activities; we must take into account that children have a natural tendency to explain their world while exploring the world and challenging one another’s thinking, and that such social interaction is critically important for language development. This study gives evidence that meaning is socially constructed as students share and exchange information “at” computers.
There is much research to consider in regard to computers, social learning, and peer talk. It is a widely accepted theory that social interaction early in life is critically important for language development and early literacy development. In a busy classroom, conversations about activities lead to improvement in language skills and development of vocabulary. When classroom environments and activities are designed to encourage communication, positive effects of computers and other forms of technology on social interaction take effect. However, the teacher plays a central role in creating such an environment that encourages collaboration among students and independence in activities. Creating a socially supportive atmosphere that encourages children to share ideas and strategies, exchange writings, and challenge each other’s thinking has a direct impact on the social context of learning.
The final question, what measures should be taken toward professional development to improve teachers’ knowledge and awareness of the importance new literacies and social learning to improve student learning, is a challenging one. It involves an understanding first of what new literacies are and then a commitment to open-mindedness that allows educators to willingly admit that they cannot be gate-keepers to information in these rapidly changing exponential times. Preparing our students to be newly literate is the responsibility of all educators in the 21st Century. It has everything to do with what we are teaching, otherwise we are neglecting a great deal about the skills that will allow our students to be successful.